


brísingamen

by starkly



Series: you've been thunderstruck [16]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Noir
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Iron Man Noir - Freeform, M/M, References to Norse Religion & Lore, Treasure Hunting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:36:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28256286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starkly/pseuds/starkly
Summary: Adventurer Tony Stark doesn’t normally do hired jobs or take requests, and he certainly never travels with anyone outside his team. But when a handsome blond who only gives his name as “Thor” shows up out of the blue claiming to have information about the mythical golden necklace Brisingamen, that definitely gets one’s attention. Tony’s always been a glutton for punishment when he’s on the scent of some big new adventure.
Relationships: Tony Stark/Thor
Series: you've been thunderstruck [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2064666
Comments: 2
Kudos: 33





	brísingamen

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written for NaNoWriMo 2020 and [posted here](https://aleator.tumblr.com/post/635275703665999872) on my tumblr writing blog. This fic was proofread before being uploaded here but is otherwise unchanged.
> 
> Prompts taken from the AU-gust 2020 challenge list on Twitter. Day Sixteen: Treasure Hunter AU.
> 
> This is technically an Iron Man Noir AU, but you don't have to have read that mini at all because this isn't very canon compliant anyway. Just know that Tony is a 1930s industrialist/adventurer.

When you’re a world-renowned adventurer whose exploits are chronicled in _Marvels: A Magazine Of Men's Adventure_ , people expect every subsequent adventure to be even more grand and exciting. And after literally finding the lost city of Atlantis, it’s hard to get much grander than that.

Pepper and Rhodey urge him to take a break. The last adventure was too much for him. His heart is still weak. So on and so forth. Yet when a mysterious man arrives at Pepper’s office one day requesting the assistance of one Anthony Stark, adventurer, Tony leaps at the opportunity.

He doesn’t normally do hired jobs or take requests, and he certainly never travels with anyone outside his team. But when a handsome blond who only gives his name as “Thor” shows up out of the blue claiming to have information about the mythical golden necklace Brisingamen, that definitely gets one’s attention. Tony’s always been a glutton for punishment when he’s on the scent of some big new adventure.

“This is quite the setup, Mister Stark,” Thor says as they load up the zeppelin with the supplies they’ll need to make the trip to Europe. He’d supplied a basic geographic location for the necklace, but with a little research Tony and his crew had narrowed down its most likely location to a particularly treacherous part of the Scandinavian Mountains, on the Norwegian side.

“You’ve got to be prepared for anything on quests like these,” Tony says, bent over a table covered in maps as he takes care of some last-minute route confirmations. “You never know what could happen.”

So absorbed in his calculations, he doesn’t realize Thor’s come over to stand near him until he straightens up and smacks right into him. Thor catches him by the waist as he stumbles, and Tony clears his throat and steps to the side, fighting back embarrassment. It’s not the first time he’s had an attractive man pressed up against his back, but usually they buy him a drink or two first.

Thor doesn’t say a word about it, however, merely points to a spot on the map and starts talking about alternate routes and shortcuts. Tony smooths down the front of his shirt and leans back over to inspect the maps while they discuss the plan.

It only takes a few days to cross the Atlantic. Thor is a mysterious guest, mostly keeping to himself, though he manages to make an appearance whenever Tony is alone. At one point they get to talking about Tony’s reputation and he’s surprised to learn that Thor has never read the magazine.

“Really?” Tony raises an eyebrow at him, a little offended. “Then how did you know to come to me with your information?”

“Word gets around,” Thor replies with a shrug. “I could have gone on my own, but I thought, well, this is the famous Tony Stark. How could I pass up this opportunity?”

Tony laughs and says, “The way you say ‘famous Tony Stark’ makes it seem like you’re not particularly impressed. You don’t think I can find this necklace?”

“Oh, I hope you do,” Thor says. “It’s quite dear to me.”

Tony gives Thor a funny look, though he doesn’t say anything. Thor probably just wants the money he can get from selling it, or maybe he wants to put it in a museum. Tony doesn’t care as long as he gets the credit for the find.

They land in Norway four days after they depart New York and they don’t waste any time packing up for their trek into the mountains. After some fierce debate wherein Thor refuses to be left behind, Tony convinces Rhodey and Jarvis to stay with the zeppelin. Rhodey clasps Tony’s arm and tells him to be careful, and Tony grins and assures him he’s depending on Rhodey and Jarvis to come save their asses if they get into trouble.

With their bags packed and their cold-weather gear donned, Tony and Thor set out into the wintry Norwegian wilderness. Though Tony is no stranger to traversing unforgiving landscapes or climbing mountains, the blustery cold chills him to the bone. He’d had Jarvis recharge his heart for him before they left the zeppelin, so he’s not too worried about needing a boost, but it’s always a risk if anything goes wrong.

They travel deep into the mountains, following the trail they laid out on their maps. Thor handles the trek surprisingly well, which just makes Tony even more curious about him. Who is this man? If he was another adventurer, surely Tony would have heard about him.

At the end of the first day they find a cave to rest in that will shelter them from the wind and snow. Tony sets Thor to build them a fire and then inspects the small cave to make sure there isn’t anything dangerous around that could cause them trouble. Once they’re settled in they eat some of the provisions they packed and huddle together as they go over the map. They should reach their destination the next day if they’re lucky and don’t run into any impediments.

When they finish they put away their supplies but stay huddled together for warmth by the fire. Thor doesn’t seem too bothered by the cold at all, but he keeps an arm around Tony and holds him close anyway, making sure he stays warm.

“So, do you think this is the real Brisingamen?” Tony asks, rubbing his gloved hands together.

“I believe the necklace is real and will be in the location you’ve discovered,” Thor says, but Tony shakes his head.

“I mean the actual necklace from Norse myth,” he says.

Thor looks amused but he doesn’t laugh at Tony like most people might. “Do you think such a thing could be real?”

“Maybe. I’ve seen a lot of strange, unexplainable things in my years traveling the globe. It could be just an old fancy necklace. Or it could be some dwarf-crafted treasure owned by a literal goddess. I honestly would not be surprised.”

“Not even a little bit?” Thor asks, a smile on his handsome face.

Tony thinks about it for a moment, then shakes his head again. “Not really.”

That finally does make Thor laugh, and Tony can feel the rumble of it where he’s pressed against Thor’s broad chest.

Soon enough they unpack their bedrolls and lie down to rest so they can resume their trek as soon as they can in the morning. Tony doesn’t mean to, but at some point over the night he shuffles so close to Thor that he wakes in the morning with Thor’s body curled around him. Thor is incredibly warm though, especially considering their surroundings, so Tony doesn’t move until Thor also wakes and the two need to get up and get going.

After a quick breakfast they continue on their way through the rocky terrain and the snow until they reach a glacier cavern that hopefully is their final destination. Tony lights his lantern and the two proceed with caution, heading deeper within the cave. Thor sticks close, trailing behind Tony as they look for any clues where this hidden treasure might be.

“There,” Tony says, pointing. “It looks like a door.”

The stone door looks ancient, with runes carved along the top, and Tony frowns, bringing the lantern closer for inspection. Why would there be some kind of vault out in the middle of nowhere like this? He takes a closer look at the runes, making a quiet, disgruntled noise.

“Should’ve brushed up on my ancient Norse,” he complains, and Thor steps up behind him, looking at the runes too.

Without saying a word, Thor takes Tony’s free hand and pulls his glove off, then guides his hand by the wrist to touch three of the runes in a specific order. To Tony’s surprise, the heavy stone door rumbles open as the last rune is touched.

Thor puts his glove back on for him and Tony’s too excited to keep moving he doesn’t even question what the runes said or why he had to be the one to touch them or how the door’s locking mechanism worked. Instead he just rushes inside and then abruptly comes to a stop as the glow from his lantern lights up the treasures within the vault.

There are ancient weapons and golden statues and jewelry amongst other things, but in the center of it all on a tall pedestal is the most beautiful golden necklace Tony has ever seen. It seems to glow with its own ethereal light, and Tony can’t help but be drawn to it, passing everything else by as he goes toward the necklace.

“Tony, wait--”

He hears Thor say his name but it’s too late. He’s got a hand on the necklace and suddenly the room is rumbling like the whole cavern is going to collapse on them. Then the floor gives out completely beneath his feet and Tony yelps, dropping the lantern as he tries to grab hold of something as he falls.

A strong hand wraps around his forearm and pulls him out of the pit with ease. He’s set down on the ground that’s still solid, but he doesn’t even seem to realize it as he stares at his savior.

The man is crackling with bright white energy like lightning, the winter gear he’d been wearing replaced with armor and leather, a silver helm upon his head. A red cape flutters out behind him even though there’s no wind in the cavern.

“Careful, mortal,” the man says, releasing Tony’s arm. Tony’s heart is pounding, and it almost feels like the electrical device keeping it beating is malfunctioning again.

“You’re Thor. _The_ Thor,” Tony says, shocked. “For real.”

And then Thor, real Norse god Thor, looks sheepish.

“Aye, so I am,” he replies.

“What even--” Tony gestures wildly with both hands, then stops in surprise when he realizes he’s holding something in one hand. The golden glow of Brisingamen lights up his face, his eyes still full of amazement.

“I thank you for your assistance in retrieving this,” Thor says, gently taking the necklace from Tony’s hand. Tony doesn’t try to fight him on it.

“That trickster Loki stole the necklace from Freya and magicked it so I could not find it,” Thor explains without Tony having to ask. Thankfully so, because he’s not sure he can form a proper sentence yet. “I gave up my hunt a long time ago, but Freya had reminded me of my failed quest and so I set out again. I may not have been able to locate Brisingamen on my own, but there was nothing stopping me from following someone else who found it.”

Thor smiles and puts a hand on Tony’s shoulder. “I am glad I was right to trust that you could succeed in this.”

Tony finally attempts to speak, clearing his throat before he says, “Well, uh, I’m glad to have been of service.”

Tony honestly can’t say which is more stunning to look at, Thor or Brisingamen. It’s hard to look directly at either of them, especially in the dark of this cavern.

“I guess I should start heading back,” he says, looking around at the rest of the treasures in the room. “We’ll need to get started on transporting the rest of this out of here.”

“Ah, I would leave this place to rest,” Thor says warily. “Loki may have laid a curse on any of the items here.”

Tony can’t help frown at that. Even though he doesn’t need the money, it’s hard to prove you did something when you don’t have anything to show for it. And without Pepper here to chronicle the adventure, the story may not even make it into the magazine.

Seeing his disappointment, Thor thinks for a moment, then takes off a beaded bracelet from around his wrist and presses it into Tony’s hand.

“It may not be of great value, but I hope it helps you remember this adventure well,” Thor tells him.

Tony curls his fingers around the bracelet and looks back up at Thor. “Will I ever see you again?”

There’s a moment of hesitation in Thor’s eyes, then he smiles wide, throwing caution to the wind just like Tony always does. “I hope so, Anthony Stark. Perhaps I will need your assistance in other matters soon.”

It’s no guarantee but it’s good enough for Tony, and he grins back at Thor. He’s always ready for the next grand adventure, no matter when or where it comes from.

(The story does, in fact, make it into the magazine. When he returns home, Tony tells Pepper exactly what happened, and in Pepper’s usual style she adds enough embellishments to make it into a thrilling, danger-defying tale. Apparently the issue is a big hit with the ladies, though the full-page illustration of Thor, God of Thunder, that accompanies the piece probably helps too.)


End file.
